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MALDEF Disappointed By President Bush’s Failure To Nominate A Latino To The U.S. Supreme Court


October 3, 2005
(LOS ANGELES) MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) today expressed disappointment that President Bush failed to nominate a well-qualified Latino to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

“While we are pleased that President Bush’s nominee, if confirmed, would maintain the court’s gender diversity, he has again ignored highly qualified Latino judges, attorneys and law professors who could have served the nation ably on the United States Supreme Court,� stated MALDEF President and General Counsel Ann Marie Tallman. “We will evaluate the qualifications of Harriet Miers, as we have with all Supreme Court nominees, for respect for precedent and the constitutional authority for Congress to pass civil rights and other protective legislation, a demonstrated commitment to preserving and expanding the progress we have made on civil rights and individual liberties, and judicial temperament – and we will report our views to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.�

Added John Trasviña, MALDEF’s Senior Vice President for Law and Policy, “Many Latinos and Latinas have more judicial experience, more federal court experience, and more appellate expertise than this nominee and, for that matter, than Justices Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Thomas, Souter, and O’Connor had when they were nominated to the Court. Our concern with the President’s selection, however, should not deflect to Ms. Miers, whose qualifications and experience we will examine with an open mind.�

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation’s premier Latino civil rights organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, higher education scholarships and when necessary, through the legal system.